Method of deflocculation and product thereof.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD GOODRICH ACHESON, 0F NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK.

METHOD OF DEFLOCCULATION AND PRODUCT THEREOF.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD GoonnIcH AoIrEsoN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and-useful Improvements in Methodsof Deflocculation and Products Thereof, of which the following is aspecification.

In my prior application Ser. No. 399,486, filed October 28, 1907, I havedescribed and claimed a substantially water-free mixture consistingessentially of a deflocculated amorphous body, as graphite, and a nonaqueous medium, as oil. According to the method of said application theamorphous body was deflocculated in presence of water, and the waterthereafter replaced by a nonaqueous medium. I have now discovered thatcertain liquids or media which are miscible with Water and are solventsfor materials having a deflocculating or floccuv tain water, as forexample commercial a1 lation-preventing action, may be employed insteadof water in eifecting the deflocculation of graphite, lamp-black, orother amorphous bodies. As examples of such liquids I may mentionalcohol and glycerin.

These liquids, even when strictly anhydrous, are capable of dissolvingcertain deflocculating or flocculation-preventing agents, and when suchsolution occurs the defiocculation may readily be secured by the samemethods employed for deflocculating in presence of water, as forinstance by macerating or working the graphite or other anhydrous body,to which a proper proportion of a deflocculating material soluble in themedium employed has been added, in presence of a sufficient quantity ofthis medium to produce a paste. The resulting paste may thereafter hethinned by the addition of further quantities of this medium, or ofanother medium miscible with water, or of water; or if desired thegraphite may be transferred to a liquid immiscible with water, as forexample a mineral or vegetable oil. .In case the liquids employed fordefiocculation concohol or glycerin, the deflocculating efiect islikewise secured.

For convenience, I will hereafter refer Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 29, 1909.

Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

Serial No. 474,967.

with water, by which expression I intend to include the anhydrousliquids, such as alcohol or glycerin, as well as the liquids containinga greater or less proportion of water.

As specific examples of the process, I have found that graphite mayreadily be deflocculated by means of cutch in presence of alcohol,whether anhydrous or dilute; and that a great variety of bodies orcompounds derived from vegetable matter, or extracts thereof, as forexample dextrin, cutch, tannic acid, Irish moss, peach or cherry gum, orthe 'like, are effective when used in connection with glycerin,anhydrous or dilute. These various materials are likewise effective inconnection with absolute or dilute alcohol in so far as they are solubletherein. By this means I am enabled to prepare'directly a paste orsuspension containing deflocculated graphite or other amorphous body,said paste or suspension being either free from water or containing suchproportion of water as may be desired. For example I am able to preparea suspension consisting essentially of deflocculated graphite andglycerin, in which the particles of graphite do not adhere to eachother, but remain in suspension. By adding to this mixture a properproportion of water, or by conducting the operation in presence of aproper proportion of water, I am enabled to produce a mixture orsuspension which is directly available for lubricating purposes andwhich is not subject in use to rapid or undue evaporation.

I claim:

1. The method of deflocculating insoluble bodies which consists intreating the same with a defiocculating agent in presence of anon-aqueous liquid miscible with water.

2. The method of deflocculating insoluble bodies which consists intreating the.same with a deflocculating agent in presence of water and anon-aqueous liquid miscible therewith.

3. The method of deflocculating insoluble bodies which consists intreating the same with a defiocculating agent in presence of glycerin.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a mix In testimony whereof, I afiixmy signature ture; consisting essentially Of a non-aqueous in presenceof two witnesses. asa hfiziaafsxztf Water and .defioccu- 5 5. As a newarticle of manufacture, a miX- Witnesses: ture consisting essentially ofglycerin and 'ORRIN E. DUNLOP,

deflecculated graphite. W. ARISON.

